REST API endpoint /v1/spec/lint to extend automation in remote environments (oslo CLI extension)

[dnsmichi]

Problem to solve

The oslo CLI as validation is a great first step to automate everything. We can build a container image, and it gets used in CI/CD workflows and deployments.

Thinking of schema validation in (cloud) IDEs, such schema spec should be available online. Hosting the YML or JSON representation somewhere as single source of truth is easy. Building a plugin which locally validates the spec with live linting is a little harder.

The hardest part is to lint and validate, and build a request-response model which can be automated. The idea is to provide a REST API endpoint for OpenSLO where you'll POST the OpenSLO config file against, and get feedback from the parser/linter.

Future iterations of the spec may allow things like include or more DSL related stuff. Building a unique interface (CLI and API )

Proposal

• Extend oslo to run a webserver which accepts a POST request to /v1/spec/lint
• Build a public server which responds to requests (may need fleet scaling behind a fleet to ensure availability)
• Document how to build your own API host / proxy e.g. in a Kubernetes cluster

Inspiration

• Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/dnsmichi/status/1403286307405766657
• GitLab CI/CD config YAML validation at /ci/lint, discussed in this blog post: https://about.gitlab.com/blog/2021/04/21/devops-workflows-json-format-jq-ci-cd-lint/ and documented at https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/lint.html#validate-the-ci-yaml-configuration

[embano1]

related: OpenSLO/OpenSLO#20